Policies

Copyright

The Internet enhances free expression, creativity, and commerce. The Internet Association supports balanced intellectual property policies that protect consumers, rightsholders, and Internet intermediaries. Our companies provide some of the strongest channels for the lawful sale and distribution of copyrighted and licensed works. While our companies implement policies and procedures to protect against unlawful distribution, we believe that strong limitations and exceptions to exclusive rights enable free speech, economic growth, and the development of new technologies. IP regulations should not come at the expense of free speech and innovation or be used as a way to harm international trade and commerce.

Patents

Companies and individuals use the Internet to create valuable new, dynamic products and services that employ thousands of people, increase productivity, enable instant communications, and entertain the world. High quality patents promote innovation and encourage inventors to invest in the development of new, useful products. Low quality patents, on the other hand, stifle innovation by creating business uncertainty and opening the door to wasteful litigation.

Net Neutrality

Since its inception, the Internet has been governed by principles of openness and non-discrimination. Net neutrality is the legal principle that underpins the free and open Internet as we know it today. Simply put, it means that broadband gatekeepers – Verizon, Comcast, AT&T, and other Internet service providers (ISPs) – should treat all Internet traffic equally and not discriminate between different bits of data. That’s how the Internet works today: users can go to any website and access any type of content, whenever they want.

Trade

The continued growth of the Internet as a global medium for innovation, trade, and commerce is made possible by laws that preserve the vitality of an open and consumer-oriented Internet environment. We support trade policies that promote the free flow of information across borders consistent with the global nature of the Internet. Strong intellectual property policies, limitations and immunities for online intermediaries, and the free flow of cross-border data facilitate a vast market for consumer goods and services at home and abroad.